Projectile



Jan. 29, 1924. 1,481,798

J. H. HAMMOND, JR., ET Al.

PROJECTILE Original Filed June 27 1917 WITNESS:

' msm fro/mfr Patented 29, `19.24.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN nays HAMMOND, Jn., AND HENRYJL. 'I'. BUswELL, or GLOUCESTER,MassacHUsE'r'rs; SAID BUSWELL 4AssIcfNoa '1ro snID HAMMOND.

rRoJEoTILE.

applicati@ med :une 27, 1917, serial No. 177,425. neewea Jury 11, 1922.serial No. 574,284.

To aZZ inkom z't may' conccmi Be it known that we, JOHN HAYS HAM- MOND,Jr., a c itizen of the United States,

Aand a resident of the city of Gloucester,-

county of Essex, and State of Masachusetts, and ENRX L. lF. BUsWELL, asubject f the King of Great Britain, and a resident .of the clty ofGloucester, county of Essex,

' and State of .Massachusetts, have invented certain new and 'useful'Improvements in Projectiles, of .which the following is a specification.v

Some of the objects of this invention are to provide an improvedexplosive projectile adapted to be discharged from a gun and constructedto emit poisonous or destructive gasesl or vaporsI upon impact with atarget; to'provide anf'improved explosive projectile adapted to bedischarged` from a gun and containin various devices and materials whichwi co-act inredetermined sequence to perform various Emotions after thepro- 'ectile has been thrown from a gun and Yhas it its mark; and toprovide other improvements as will appear hereinafter.l In theaccompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal central section of a projectile .constructed inaccordance with this invention; Fig. 2 a side elevation of a detail ofthe same; and Fig. 3A a transverse section of the same on line 3-3 ofFig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of this invention comprises aAprojectilevincludingl an elongated outer casing or shell 10substantially cylindrical throughout the major portion of its length andprovided with a flaty base closed by a base plug 11 threaded therein andhaving a tapered front end form-ing a head 12.

To adapt the projectile to perform various functions the interior of theshell 10 is divided into four main compartments including a frontcompartment 13, an inter-1 mediate compartment 14, an auxiliarycompartment 15 and a rear compartment 16, by

an inner sectional casing which fits snugly in the shell 10 and whichcomprises a hollow front portion 17, a hollow intermediate portion 18,and'a rear portion 19. The hollow front portion 17 is provided at itsrear end with a at closure 20 threaded therein as at 21 and forming thefront compartment 13 and the intermedia-te compartment 14. The hollowinter- 'with a suitable ignition material a' partition between @mediateportion 18 is provided at its rear.

ena with a ilat closure 22 integral therewith and forming a partitionbetween 'the intere j mediate compartment 14 and the auxiliarycompartment 15. The Vhollow rear portion v19 is provided intermediatefof its ends with a flat closure 23 forming a partition between theauxiliary compartment 15`and the rear i compartment 16, and is providedat its rear end with a flat closure 24: threaded therein as at 25. The.front end of the hollow intermediate portion 18Iis threaded into therear end of the hollow front portion as at 26 and the front end of theVhollow rear portion is threaded around the intermediate hollow portion18 intermediate of its ends as at 2 Y For incendiary purposes both thehollow front portion 17 o the inner casing, and its closure 20A areformed of refractory or. heat resisting materials, `for example, ofmagnesi'te, magnesia tar or silicate of soda. The

Yclosure 20 may be composed in part of some substance having specialheat insulatingv properties, for instance of asbestos, or an .'board, orsome other light and easily com'- bustible' material, which isarran edin the front compartment 13. The main portion of the conductor 35 isfilled with an suitable material which will ignite an reactquickly, forinstance with a mixture 36 of red oxide of iron and aluminum. Theportion of the conductor adjoining the concussion fuses 30, 31 and 32are preferabl lilled or 1nstance with a mixture 361 of barium peroxideandvaluminum. The space within the front. compartment 13 surrounding theconcussion fuses 31 and 32 and the conductor 35 is filled with anexothermic reaction mixture 37, for inst-ance with thermit, comosed ofiron oxide and aluminum. Metal shrapnel balls 38 each covered with' arefractory coating 39 may be embedded in the exothermic mixture 37.

For the purpose of generating a poisonousgas or vapor within theprojectile im vmediately after the projectile has been discharged from agun, a plurality of glass tubes 45 are arranged transverselyof theprojectile and fixedly secured withinythe intermediate compartment 14,one end of each tact but to break when the projectile is'.

thrown from a gun. The space within the intermediate compartmentsurrounding the tubes 45 is filled with a solution of potassium ferrocyanide.

To permit of the discharge of the poisonous gases or fluids from theprojectile into the sourrounding vatmosphere immediately after theprojectile has hit a target, the projectile is provided with a pluralityof radially ar ed ports 50 extending through the over apping walls ofthe hollow intermediate portion 18, the hollow rear portion 19 and theshell 10. These ports 50 are normally kept closed by a piston valvearranged within the projectile and extending coaxially therewith, andcomprising a fiat circular head 51 and a cylindrical tubular portion 52integral with the head 51. The head 51 is arranged to reciprocatelongitudinally of theprojectile in the auxiliarycompartment 15, and thecylindrical tubular portion 52 is arranged to reciprocate snugly in anannular cylindrical passage 53 provided therefor between the forwardpart of the rear hollow portion 19 and the rear part of the intermediateportion 18 of the seetional inner casing. This valve is provided with anexternal, rearwardly facing annular shoulder 54 which is normally'pressed against a corresponding annular shoulder. provided therefor onthe inner surfaceV ofthe hollow rear portion 19 of the inner casing, bymeans of a spiralspring 56 compressed between the fixed partition 22 andthe head 51 of the valve. The valve is held against rotation withrespect to the projectile by a pin or key 58 arranged radially in theintermediate portion 18 of the inner casing and riding in a slot 57. Thecylindrical portion 52 of the valve is providedv with a plurality ofports 60 which are arranged to register with: the ports 50 respectivelywhen the Vvalve is in its foremost or operative position with the head51Jof the valve in contact with the rear end of the hollow intermediateportion 18 of the inner casing. For retaining the valve 52 in itsforemost or operative position a plurality O plungels 65 am radiallymja: in

apertures provided therefor through the rear hollow portion 19 and arenormally pressed into engagement with the cylindrical surface ofthe-head 51 of the valve when the valve is in its rearlnost position bysprings 66 respectively as shown in Fig. l. These plungers 65 are soarranged that when the valve is thrown into lits foremost or operativeposition the plungers are released bythe valveI and are pressed radiallyinwardly limited distances by the springs 66 and into the path of thevalve, preventing the valve from being moved rearwardly, and thus thevalve is retained in an operative position.

For exploding the projectile, the rear compartment 16 is filled with anysuitable explosive material 70, for instance with trinitrotoluol whichis arranged to be acted upon by a time fuse 71 or other suitable fusefor detonating the explosive material a predetermined tiine after theprojectile has hit its target.

In the operation of this improved projectile the discharge oftheprojectile from the gun causes the concussion fuses 30, 31 and 32 tofunction in a well known manner and to ignite the ignition powder 361which in turn ignites the mixture in the conductor 35 which burns veryrapidly, and since the conductor 35 is made of combustible material, thewhole mass of the thermit 0r other substance surrounding the conductoris quickly ignited and reaction occurs nearly simultaneously throughoutthe mass. lVitliin about live seconds after'the projectile has left thegun t-he front compartment is filled with molten iron and aluminum slagat a.

temperature of about 5000 F. When thermit is used, the reaction whichhas occurred is one in which oxygen leaves the iron oxide and combineswith the aluminum resulting in aluminum oxide and iron. Also,

when the projectile is discharged from a gun the glass tubes 45 arebroken by the sudden movement of the projectile, and the sulphuric acidcontained in the tubes combines with the solution of potassium ferrocyanide in the intermediate compartment 14 and fills the intermediatecompartment with hydrocyanieacid and poisonous fumes or gases underpressure. This reaction is facilitated and expedited 'by the rotarymovement of the projectile about its longitudinal axis while in Hight.

When the projectile hits a target the sudden stoppage of the projectilecauses the valve 51 to move into its foremost position where it is heldby the plungers 65, and the hydrocyanic acid and poisonous gases orfuses are discharged lfrom the projectilel through the ports 50 to killor render insensible any persons in the vicinity of the projectile.

Finall vand after a predetermined interval of time following the impactof the projectile against its target, the time fuse 71 performs itsfunction and ignites the explosive material 7 0 in the .rear compartment16 and the projectile is 'exploded and entirely broken up and the moltenor the semimolten incendiary materiaal in the front compartment 13 @iswidely scattered.

By delaying the explosion of the projectile until after the poisonousfumes or gases have been expelled from the projectile through the ports50, the disassociation 'of the fumes or gases into Ithe. harmlessconstituents, hydrogen and nitrogen is avoided.

The glass tubes 45 filled with concen- .trated sulphuric acid are notplaced in the projectile until just before it is to beplaced in a gun,the outer shell 10 being provided with a suitable aperture having aremovable steel closure 7 5 threaded into .Y the Walls thereof oppositethe outer end of each tube 45 to permit.v of .the convenient insertionor removal of the tubes 45 through the outer shell v10. The outerclosure 4,51 of each tube and the corresponding steel closure may beprovided in their outer'surfaces With slotsv 76 and 77 respectivelyadapted to receive a screw driver to position these parts. By delayingthe placing of the glass tubes 48 inthe projectile until just before thelprojectile is put into operation, the liability of destruction ordamage of persons or' 'property due to a premature explosion of theprojectile before the glass tubes have been placed in thev shell isminimized.

The fuses 30, 31 and 32 may'be of the percussion. type so that thealuminothermic reaction -does not occur until after the proj ectilestrikes the tar et. In this way, when the charge 16 is detnated themixture 37 will be found at a maximum temperature.

Having thus full described this invention, We claim and esire to protectby Letters Patent ofthe United States:

1. A projectile including a shell, a. plurality of substances containedin said shell and adapted to combine chemically to produce a givensubstance,' means normally- 'maintalnmg said substances separated butoperative as a result of the sudden discharge of said shell from a 'guntocause said first mentioned substances to combine to produce said givensubstance, and means operative Vto explode said shell a predeterminedtime after impact.

2. A projectile including a shell, a plurality of substances containedin said shell and adapted to combine chemically to form a poisonousHuid, means normally maintaining said substances separated but operativeas a result of the sudden discharge of saidshell from va gun to causelsaid substances to combine chemically to form said fluid, and meansoperative by impact toy release said poisonous fluid gradually from saidshell. tents of the first named compartment and 180y 3. projectileincluding a shell, a. plu-v rality of substances contained in said shelland adapted to combine chemically to form a poisonous gas, meansnormally maintaining said substances separated but operative as a resultof the sudden discharge of said shell from a gun to cause saidsubstances to combine chemically to form said gas, and.

erated by impact to release said gas gradually from said shell. J a

5. A projectile comprising a shell provided With a compartment, afragile container in said compartment, a salt and an acid in saidcompartment and normally separated by said container, said containerbeing constructed and arranged to be fractured as a result of thedischarge of said projectile from a gun to cause said acid to comminglewith said salt,n and means 'operative to explode said shell apredetermined time after impact. 6. A. projectile comprising meansproviding a plurality ofl compartments, an exothermic reaction mixturein one of said compartments, a plurality of `normally separatedsubstanceslfor generating a poisonous gas arranged in another -of saidcompart- 'A ments, and time controlled means for exploding saidprojectile arranged in a third one of said compartments.

7. A projectile comprising means provid- 'i .ing a pluralityofcompartments, an exo-A thermic reaction mixture in one of saidcompartments, concussion means operative to y ignite said-mixture' assaid shell is expelled. from a gun, a pluralityof normallyseparatesubstances arranged in another of said compartments to operate tocombine to form a poisonous gas as a result of thedischarge of saidprojectile from a gun', means operative to permit the discharge of saidgas fromsaid projectile as a result of the impact of said projectileagainst a target, and means operative to explode said projectile apredetermined time after' said impact.

8. A projectile lcomprising a compartment for containing poisonousmatter injurious to living beings,- a second. compartment containingexplosive matter injurious to prop-- erty,4 and means responsive to theimpact of said projectile for quickly releasing the com means forsubsequently exploding the contents of the second compartment'.

i). A projectile comprising poisonous matter injurious to living beings,and explosible matter adapted to .injure property, lmeans responsive tolthe impact of the projectile for first releasing the poisonous matterand means to thereafter explode the explosive matter.

10. A projectile comprising a shell having a'plurality of compartmentseach adapted to impart inj'ury to differently characterized elements'ofan enemy front, and meansv iesponsive to the impact of the shell for`quickly releasing the contents of one of said compartments and meansfor subsequently releasing the contents of the remaining compartments. y

11. A projectile comprising a shell having two compartments each adaptedt0 impart injury. to differently characterized elements of an enemyfront, and means vresponsire to the impact of the shell for quicklyreleasing the contents of one of said compartments and a time fuse fordise-harging the contents of the other compartment.

12. A projectile comprising a compartment for containing poisonousmatter inj nrious to living beings, a second compart- Yment containingexplosive matter injurious to property, and means responsive to theimpact of said projectile for quickly releasing t-he contents 'of thefirst named compartment and means operable at a different time forexploding the contents of the second compartment.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of June,1917.

JGHN HAYS HAMMOND, Jar.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto', set my hand this 11th day of June,1917.

HENRY L; F. BUSWELL.

